Onyx Sequin DressClick here for product page
Item 99984
Regular: $148.00
Now: $79.99
A big "thanks!" to Priya (in this post), who shared with us her great review of this {beautiful} dress!
Review of the Onyx Sequin Dress
I received it last week as part of my HOHOHO purchase in a size 2. I really wanted to love it, at $56 it was a great deal and I thought it would be perfect for a New Years Eve party. But alas, it was not meant to be.
The fitting is pretty true to size and the merino is thicker than the sweaters and has a nice drape to it. The sequins are great, an understated level of sparkly.But the problem was with the chest area. First off, it is more fitted in the bust than I was anticipating, I am a D cup and it was pretty tight, so that is something to consider. However, my real problem was with the neckline. Maybe if you are small chested you can pull it off without some type of camisole under the dress, but the v neck goes all the way to your sternum. Without something underneath I felt uncomfortable. I tried for a stretch black tank underneath but it took so much way from the dress, the neck line was totally different and it just looked odd to wear a party dress with a tank top underneath.
So in the end it wasn't for me, I was super bummed though. It was definitely a pretty dress.
"Thanks!" again to Priya (in this post) for her review! :)
This sweater dress looks amazing on the model in the photos! But in the end, I {sadly} know it will never work for my pear-shape frame. I also have to add that I am really surprised by how deep the neckline is... J.Crew, how scandalous of you! ;)
What are your thoughts on the Onyx Sequin Dress (do you like/dislike the style, design, fabric)? Are you considering or already have purchased this dress? Have you seen this dress in-person? If so, please share with us your reviews too! :)
Thanks for the review. The dress would probably not work for me either... I am petite but have a little bit of a pear shape. Speaking of sizing... I am considering an Ecole jacket. I am usually an XS in J Crew tops (mostly 0 with a few 2s), but I'm not sure about the sleeve length in this jacket. Do I stick to a 0 or go with a 2? I want it to be fitted. Any advice is welcome!
ReplyDeletefor fitted I'd recommend going with a 0, unless you have wider shoulders. I wear a 0 consistently on top and have the velvet ecole (and have tried on other ecoles) and the 0 is a little roomy in the body but tighter in the shoulders/arms. It could have been a bit tighter on me still, but I wear it open. If you do a search on google and use site:jcrewaficionada.blogspot.com you'll see lots of comments on the fit of the ecole (works for some, others not). HTH!
ReplyDeletethis dress is cute - has anyone tried a zero and liked it? I'm not a huge fan of wool dresses though, for fear of itch and moths.
ReplyDeleteI call these 'implant dresses' or 'getting her $6000.00 worth dresses', lol. Show 'em off girls!
ReplyDeleteThis is very slimming- I'm a 2, and it fits like a glove. Totally cute. I would wear it w/out the tank if I wanted to go ultra-look-at-me! (But that's a bit daring). Still, I love it, can't wait to go somewhere special to break it out!
ReplyDeleteI tried this dress on and maybe I got a bad one but the zipper poked out in a weird way on the side. It would not lay flat! I tried a 2, where it was super pronounced. I thought maybe because the 2 was fairly tight / fitted so I sized up but even on the 4 it wasn't completely straight.
ReplyDeleteSince I have no cleavage, I was mostly okay with the neckline. But I couldn't wear a bra underneath it without the strap showing and I didn't like that part as much. :) I didn't like the idea of people noticing if I was cold or not.
Thanks bellemarie!
ReplyDeleteI can actually wear this dress without anything underneath it, since my chest area is "wide-set," let's say.
ReplyDeleteBut for those with anything resembling cleavage, have you tried the winkee under it? I use a couple of them under v-neck sweaters and such when they're just a little too low for work and when I don't want to wear a cami or actual shirt underneath.
I should specify, I only wear one winkee at a time, but I have a couple of different colors (one ivory, one black).
ReplyDeleteI just noticed this dress this afternoon and it is lovely-looking. The fact that the model had a cami underneath, though, made me skeptical of the neckline. Thanks for the review, which confirmed my suspicions.
ReplyDeleteGia-- I am usually an XS/S (shirts I buy x-small, sweaters small) and have the Ecole in a 2. Its a good size, but fitted. I wouldn't have minded it a little roomier, so that I would have more freedom with what I layer underneath it. Since I originally wanted it in burgundy and its once again in stock, I'm thinking of picking it up in a 4. FWIW, I also have the Madeline coat in a 2, and it fits perfectly.
Another size question: does anyone know how the cotton interlock Ava dress runs? I have a sweater dress from a few years ago in XS that fits nicely, but a shirtdress from last year in 0 and which is a bit snug under the bust, but the waist is fine. I'm caught between 0 and 2. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
Thanks for the review Priya! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful review. I do not think that this dress would work for me.... I guess that I have found that some of the J. Crew "V" necks are really low (as commented in the review) and I guess that is not me...... Congrats to all who purchased and it looks great on you as does the model-- but this would be a "pass" for me....
ReplyDeleteGlad my review was helpful! I was so excited to see it up on the main page...it makes me feel like a hip blogger!
ReplyDeleteI own the onyx sequin dress, and I absolutely love it. I'm a size 10 with a C cup, and it fit wonderfully. I wore it exactly how the model has it in the picture (with the perfect-fit tank underneath) so the neckline wasn't a problem for me. I wore it to a wedding, and got a lot of compliments on it.
ReplyDeleteI almost bought this several times, but each time the idea of having to wear a white (or other color) cami underneath just held me back. Somehow it seems to take away from the "dressiness" of the dress to have to wear a cami, too. J Crew does have some very deep v-necks...but maybe they just look deeper on me because I have nothing "up top" :-)
ReplyDeleteI have this dress in a size 2. I agree that the neckline is quite low, but I am small chested and can wear the dress without a cami underneath and with no bra. I did this once, on New Year's Eve (a little saucier than normal!)
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I've worn the dress with the gold twinkle tank underneath for more coverage, and paired it with metallic gold shoes ... I thought it looked great like that and didn't take away from the dress at all!
I love it.
Anon 12:40-Ha-too funny! Never thought of dresses that way!
ReplyDeleteThanks Priya for the review-cute dress!
I don't like the way J Crew cuts the shoulders on many of their dresses and even the sweater vests like jackie cami/cashmere cami-for one I think the neck is cut too high (like many t-shirts with such a high crewneck-anyone else hate that?) but beside that the sleeves at shoulder are cut where they either need to be further in or further out. This dress appears the same way. If it were cut further in, it would be far more appealing to ones shoulders. Hard to explain but if you know this from your own experience..you will be saying, "Ah-ha, yes, I know exactly what you mean:)
Jenni-that sounds very cute and a better tank to keep with the dressy factor of the sequins:)
I should have re-phrased and said armpit/shoulder--there's extra fabric at the front underarm and too much at the shoulder IMO.
ReplyDeleteI've been eying this dress too...I think it's gorgeous with or without a cami underneath. Thanks to Priya and others who have chimed in on this item! I may take the plunge and get it! (ha--plunge seems to be an appropriate word given the content of some reviews :)
ReplyDeleteI ordered this dress two days ago and am expecting it on Monday...I am not particularly chesty and I am really hopeful that I can pull this off. I was actually thinking of wearing it to work with a jacket or cardi over it (and obviously a cami).
ReplyDeletei was totally wondering about this dress and had googled some j. crew aficionado reviews of it (found in other postings). i think it would fit my figure great but i wouldn't want to wear a tank under it. i'd be fine with a plunging neckline, as long as my bra wouldn't show, which someone hinted at. i think i have "low" boobs, though, so who knows?!
ReplyDeleteas for the ava dress: http://jcrewreviews.blogspot.com/2008/12/cotton-interlock-ava-dress.html
i tried it on and loved it from the front. it seemed true to size. however, i thought that the pleats in the back stuck out funny. a little. i debated on it, but at full price at the store thought no. considering it on sale. also, it's, like, sweatshirt material. it looks shiny on j.crew's site and it's not. pretty casual.
K7-that winkee is hilarious! I can see it working wonderfully for a conservative profession as yours but it does bring back visions of snuggie;)
ReplyDeletehaha! that winkie looks like a thong for my bra!
ReplyDeleteI've been lusting after this dress, but as a 34 D, I would not be able to wear it a lot of places (maybe Vegas?). I really wish JCrew would design for us ladies that have more on top - the low cut tops and boxy cut jackets are not our friends.
ReplyDeleteHillary, did you buy the Ava dress? I am considering it but I am tall and thin and rather chesty. I think it may be flattering to more pear-shaped ladies. Can you comment on how it fit your figure type and what is your figure type?
ReplyDeleteTIA
I'm a size 10, through and through, ALWAYS, and the 10 in this was huge on me. I loved it so much though that I tried again with an 8 AND a 6. The 8 fit, I guess, and the 6 was too small (but not by as much as it should have been), but this dress was still a disaster on me. I'm a 36C and I tried it with a plunge bra, so there was no bra showing and it's a little racy but not TERRIBLE, but the fit was just awful. I think it's the same issue that Bug Pin is talking about -- the fabric gapes at the armpits, the shoulders are just off somehow, and also as someone else mentioned that darned zipper was bulging out all over the place. I sent them all back and wore the wool shift dress to my party instead, and it was a real winner! I can't recommend this dress highly enough. I paired it with the twisted crystal necklace and hte fireball necklace, both wrapped around my neck twice, and the caroline pumps in black and got SO many compliments. It's such a great dress, I've worn it unadorned for casual gatherings, and could definitely wear it to work with a cardigan or jacket, or a turtleneck underneath. It's super flattering, super simple, and right now SUPER cheap.
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:03 -- which wool shift do you mean? I love a good shift dress.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I should have pointed out that you have to get over the "tee-hee-hee" factor before wearing the winkee.
ReplyDeleteBut just be glad I pointed you directly to the website! I knew there had to be something out there that served this function, and I found myself googling "cover cleavage" and similar terms...only to come up with porn, porn, and more porn.
TIA:
ReplyDeleteI am tall (5'9") and kind of straight (not too small of a waist). I wear a C cup, but am not overly busty. In clothing, I generally wear 8 or 10 and in dresses wear 6 or 8 (I think b/c I'm a tad smaller up-top).
I liked the fit of the dress. The tulip shape was cute from the front. The seam is at the natural waist, kinda high, but not empire at all. Both the 6 and 8 fit fine, really. I liked it in navy much better than the pink (which I thought looked cheaper).
But, as I mentioned, I thought the pleats in the back stuck out a bit funny. It's entirely possible that an iron would have fixed it.
It's the type of dress that you could wear absolutely anywhere, depending on if you dressed it up or down.
Hope that helps.
I thought it too low cut as well, and didn't want to wear a cami underneath, bec. it seemed to ruin the effect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review..I was considering this dress but I now know the bust would have not worked
ReplyDelete